Safety lighter with an improved child safety assembly

Abstract

A safety lighter with a safety strike wheel assembly including a center strike wheel, two side turning wheels which are fixedly mounted with the center strike wheel, and two driving wheels which are respectively and loosely mounted to the two side turning wheels. Each side turning wheel has an external toothed surface adapted to be inserted into the strike wheel to secure the two turning wheels to the strike wheel. To operate the safety lighter, a user must press on the driving wheels to have them frictional engage with the two side turning wheels to turn the strike wheel to create a spark.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A safety lighter, comprising: 
       a. a supporting frame disposed on top of a gas reservoir housing having a valve which is actuated by a gas lever pivotally mounted on the supporting frame for actuating the valve to release gas within the gas reservoir housing, the supporting frame having two upright supporting walls parallel protruding on opposite sides of the gas lever and each supporting wall having a supporting hole thereon;  
       b. flint means extending upwardly from said supporting frame and between said two upright supporting walls;  
       c. a strike wheel having a first axle hole end, a second axle hole end, an internal bore extending between the axle hole ends and an external striking surface in contact with said flint means, wherein said flint means is retained urging against the striking surface for generating sparks directed toward said valve when the striking surface is driven to strike against said flint means;  
       d. a pair of side turning wheels each having a wheel portion with a bevel rim, a protruding axle portion centrally located on one side of the wheel portion for rotatably inserting into said respective supporting hole, and a protruding frusto-conical attachment portion centrally located on the other side of the wheel portion and tapered therefrom, the protruding frusto-conical attachment portion having an external toothed surface respectively inserted into said axle hole ends of said strike wheel such that the external toothed surface of said protruding frusto-conical attachment portion of said each side turning wheel engages with said internal bore of said strike wheel to secure the pair of side turning wheels to said striking wheel; and  
       e. a pair of driving rings each having an external knurling surface and an internal bevel rim surrounding a central driving hole, the central driving hole having a diameter slightly larger than said wheel portion of said each side turning wheel, where the internal bevel rim is respectively and loosely mounted on and corresponds to said bevel rim of said each side turning wheel, so to engage said bevel rim of said each side turning wheel to loosely rotate around said each side turning wheel without being depressed, thereby when a depressing force is applied downwardly to the pair of driving rings which in turn depress and turn said pair of side turning wheels, so that said frusto-conical attachment portion is respectively pressed to engage with said strike wheel to drive and strike against said flint means;  
       f. whereby to operate said safety lighter, a user must press on said pair of driving rings to have them frictional engage with said pair of axle wheels respectively to turn said strike wheel so that said striking surface strikes said flint means to create a spark.  
     
     
       2. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  1 , wherein said strike wheel is made out of steel material. 
     
     
       3. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  1 , wherein said each side turning wheel is made out of aluminum material so when said frusto-conical attachment portion of said each side turning wheel is respectively inserted into said internal bore of said strike wheel, said external toothed surface deforms against said internal bore to secure said each side turning wheel thereto. 
     
     
       4. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  1 , wherein the angle of said bevel rim of said wheel portion of said each side turning wheel is greater than 5°. 
     
     
       5. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  1 , wherein the angle of said internal bevel rim of said each driving ring is greater than 5°. 
     
     
       6. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  1 , wherein said bevel rim of said each turning wheel has a smooth surface. 
     
     
       7. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  1 , wherein said bevel rim of said each turning wheel has a teethed surface. 
     
     
       8. A safety lighter, comprising: 
       a. a supporting frame disposed on top of a gas reservoir housing having a valve which is actuated by a gas lever for actuating the valve to release gas within the gas reservoir housing, the supporting frame having two upright supporting walls on opposite sides of the gas lever and each supporting wall having a supporting hole thereon;  
       b. flint means extending upwardly from said supporting frame;  
       c. a strike wheel having an internal bore extending therethrough and an external striking surface in contact with said flint means, wherein said flint means is retained urging against the striking surface for generating sparks directed toward said valve when the striking surface is driven to strike against said flint means;  
       d. at least two axle wheels each having a wheel portion with a bevel rim, an axle portion located on one side of the wheel portion for rotatably inserting into said respective supporting hole, and a frusto-conical portion located on the other side of the wheel portion, the frusto-conical portion having an external toothed surface respectively inserted into said internal bore of said strike wheel at opposite ends such that the external toothed surface of said frusto-conical portion of said each axle wheel engages with said internal bore of said strike wheel to secure the at least two axle wheels to said strike wheel; and  
       e. at least two driving rings each having an internal bevel rim surrounding a driving hole, where the internal bevel rim is respectively and loosely mounted on and corresponds to said bevel rim of said each axle wheel, so to engage said bevel rim of said each axle wheel to loosely rotate around said each axle wheel without being depressed, thereby when a depressing force is applied downwardly to the at least two driving rings which in turn depress and turn said at least two axle wheels, so that said frusto-conical portions are pressed to engage with said strike wheel to drive and strike against said flint means;  
       f. whereby to operate said safety lighter, a user must press on said at least two driving rings to have them frictional engage with said at least two axle wheels respectively to turn said strike wheel so that said striking surface strikes said flint means to create a spark.  
     
     
       9. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  8 , wherein said strike wheel is made out of steel material. 
     
     
       10. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  8 , wherein said each axle wheel is made out of aluminum material so when said frusto-conical portion of said each axle wheel is inserted into said internal bore of said strike wheel, said external toothed surface deforms against said internal bore to secure said each axle wheel thereto. 
     
     
       11. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  8 , wherein the angle of said bevel rim of said wheel portion of said each side axle wheel is greater than 5°. 
     
     
       12. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  8 , wherein the angle of said internal bevel rim of said each driving ring is greater than 5°. 
     
     
       13. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  8 , wherein said driving hole of said each driving ring has a diameter slightly larger than said wheel portion of said each axle wheel. 
     
     
       14. The safety lighter in accordance with claim  8 , wherein said each driving ring further comprises an external knurling surface adapted for better contact to a user finger. 
     
     
       15. A safety strike wheel assembly used in conjunction with a lighter, comprising: 
       a. a strike wheel having an internal bore extending therethrough and an external striking surface being in contact with flint means for generating sparks directed toward a valve when the striking surface is driven to strike against the flint means;  
       b. at least two axle wheels each having a wheel portion with a bevel rim, an axle portion located on one side of the wheel portion for rotatably inserting into a respective supporting hole of said lighter, and a frusto-conical portion located on the other side of the wheel portion, the frusto-conical portion having an external toothed surface respectively inserted into said internal bore of said strike wheel at opposite ends such that the external toothed surface respectively engages with said internal bore of said strike wheel to secure the at least two axle wheels to said strike wheel; and  
       c. at least two driving rings each having an internal bevel rim surrounding a driving hole, where the internal bevel rim is respectively and loosely mounted on and corresponds to said bevel rim of said each axle wheel, so to engage said bevel rim of said each axle wheel to loosely rotate around said each axle wheel without being depressed, thereby when a depressing force is applied downwardly to the at least two driving rings which in turn depress and turn said at least two axle wheels, so that said frusto-conical attachment portion is respectively pressed to engage with said strike wheel to drive and strike against said flint means;  
       d. whereby to operate said safety striking wheel assembly, a user must press on said at least two driving rings to have them frictional engage with said at least two axle wheels respectively to turn said strike wheel so that said striking surface strikes said flint means to create a spark.  
     
     
       16. The strike wheel assembly in accordance with claim  15 , wherein said strike wheel is made out of steel material. 
     
     
       17. The strike wheel assembly in accordance with claim  15 , wherein said each axle wheel is made out of aluminum material so when said frusto-conical portion of said each axle wheel is respectively inserted into said internal bore of said strike wheel, said external toothed surface deforms against said internal bore to secure said each axle wheel thereto. 
     
     
       18. The strike wheel assembly in accordance with claim  15 , wherein the angle of said bevel rim of said wheel portion of said each axle wheel is greater than 5°. 
     
     
       19. The strike wheel assembly in accordance with claim  15 , wherein the angle of said internal bevel rim of said each driving ring is greater than 5°. 
     
     
       20. The strike wheel assembly in accordance with claim  15 , wherein said driving hole of said each driving ring has a diameter slightly larger than said wheel portion of said each axle wheel. 
     
     
       21. The strike wheel assembly in accordance with claim  15 , wherein said each driving ring further comprises an external knurling surface adapted for better contact to a user finger.